To know if someone has PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), they typically experience symptoms in four main categories:
- Intrusions: This includes unwanted memories or flashbacks that make a person feel like the traumatic event is happening again. Nightmares and distressing recollections are common.
- Avoidance: Avoiding people, places, activities, or thoughts that remind them of the trauma.
- Negative changes in thinking and mood: These include feelings of detachment, distorted negative thoughts, guilt, depression, loss of interest in activities, and emotional numbness.
- Alterations in arousal and reactivity: Symptoms like being easily startled, irritability, trouble sleeping, excessive vigilance, and angry outbursts.
Symptoms need to last more than one month and cause significant problems in daily life, such as work, social interactions, or self-care, to be considered PTSD. There can also be a dissociative subtype with depersonalization or derealization. If someone recognizes these symptoms in themselves, it is important to see a doctor or mental health professional for a proper diagnosis and help. Diagnosis is usually done by psychiatrists or psychologists with experience in mental health. If experiencing symptoms or distress, professional support is important and there are therapeutic and medicinal options available to manage it.
